Control device for flush tanks



April 26,1955

M. GRAZIOSI CONTROL DEVICE FOR FLUSH TANKS Filed Jan. 5, 1952 INVENTOR. M/CH/IEL GEAZ/OS/ I BY V ATTOENEE United States Patent CONTROL DEVICE FOR FLUSH TANKS Michael Graziosi, Jersey City, N. J. Application January 5, 1952, Serial No. 265,062 7 Claims. (Cl. 4-57) This invention relates to a control device for flush tanks, and more particularly to a universal type of tank ball and adjustable guide for flushing tanks.

An object of my invention is to provide an adjustable water control device for flush tanks of any type where the water automatically enters the tank once it is flushed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a universal type of flush tank device in which the tank ball seal and guide are used to seal or stop the water at the tank ball seat after flushing for the purpose of saving Water.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved guide and tank ball seal, once the flush handle is pushed to flush the water in the tank, that will not permit the improved type of tank ball seal to be deflected on its downward travel with the falling water upon its seat, thereby establishing a foolproof seating which will function properly under all general conditions.

Still another and more specific object of my invention is to provide an adjustable, universal type, twin guide device and a tank ball for seating on any type of outlet pipe in water flush tanks.

Still another and further but specific object of my invention is to provide a device having adjustable twin guide means and a tank ball for flush tanks to effect a foolproof seal in the tank after flushing, said device further providing clamping collar means setting on the water overflow pipe, laterally extending means on the collar for the adjustable, spaced twin guide means on said extending means, and a tank ball sealing member.

Other objects and features of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmental view of a portion of a flush tank containing a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view taken on line 44 of Fig. l; and,

Fig. 5 is a detail view taken on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, it will be noted that I provide, according to my invention, an adjustable assembly 10, used, for example, in the conventional type of flush tank 11 part of which is illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, and connected to a Water overflow pipe 12 in said tank. Said pipe 12 is connected to a water discharge seat 13 extending through the floor 14 of tank 10, for the passage of water through an elbow or joint 15 and an opening 16 in seat 13. Said seat 13 is provided in the midportion in tank 10 with an outwardly flared top 17 for a ball seal 18 of novel design and outline. Said ball seal 18 is of a hollow irregular cone shape having a tapering end with a succession of sharp edged longitudinal furrows 19 to effect streamlike movement of the seal into the seat 13. Also, the bottom of said ball seal member has an opening 20 therein to minimize buoyancy and to permit better seating of the ball on flared portion 17 of seat 13.

Said ball seal member 18, as shown, is somewhat fiattened forming a series of concentric steps and is provided at its upper inner portion with a centrally located plug 21 and a horizontal guide member 22 extending 2,706,818 Patented Apr. 26, 1955 along the top of the member 18. Said guide is in the shape of a U groove and accommodates side arm 23 of lever 24. Said side arm 23 has a longitudinal slot 25 for the passage therethrough of the lower part of a vertical rod 26. Said rod 26 is provided with a connecting knob 27 from which extends a threaded member 28 connected with said plug 21, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be noted that by adjusting knob 27 with respect to rod 26 and plug 21, sidearm 23 can be adjusted and moved laterally of the vertical rod 26. The top of said lever 24 and of said rod 26 is each provided with a removable knob screw 29 and 30, respectively. Said lever 24 and rod 26, as noticed, are disposed parallel with each other and are held in such position by means of adjustable, telescopic, guide means 31 and 32. Said guide means 31 is provided with an opening 33 and a tube extension 34 for accommodating and guiding the vertical movement of lever 24 therein. Furthermore, said guide means 31 is provided with a collar 35 for mounting around overflow pipe 12. Said collar 35 is relatively adjustable with respect to the pipe 12 by means of an eye screw member 36 so that the guide means 31 is raised or lowered as desired. Said guide means 32, as shown, has a sleeve 37 for accommodating said vertical member or rod 26. Extending angularly from said sleeve is an extension arm 38 telescopically adjustable with respect to side arm 39 of guide means 31. Said side arm 39 is provided with an adjustable knob set screw 40 so as to permit relative fixing or lateral adjustment of the guide means 31 and 32.

Said vertical rod 26 is provided above sleeve 37 with a loose fitting cross rod 41 onto which is screwed an adjustable hook 42 which in turn is pivotally connected to an arm or lever 43 connected with tank handle 44.

When handle 44 is turned to operating position, hook 42 is raised which in turn, once the proper adjustment is made, raises rod 41 against knob screw 30 thereby lifting seat ball 18 by means of rod 26. Simultaneously, lever 24 is raised. By such adjustment and operation of the device herein described and illustrated, the amount of water entering or leaving the flush tank is effectively regulated. Furthermore, by the adjustment of collar 35 on pipe 12 and by the relative adjustment of guide members 31 and 32 and side arm 23 in guide 22, any desired extension can be obtained so that the invention can be used in any of the conventional types of flush tanks. To control or regulate the amount of water leaving the flush tank 11, I provide a stop member 45 comprising a sleeve formed and having an axial slot 46 cut lengthwise at its side having a thumb screw 47. This member 45 is installed by slipping over either lever 24, or rod 26, and set at a point about to of an inch from the bottom edge of either guide means 32 or tube extension 34. After thumb screw 47 has been made tight it is ready for operation. The stop member operates as follows, when handle 44 is turned to operating position, thumb screw slotted sleeve will come to rest at the bottom of either guide means 32 or tube extension 34. If the sleeve is set about /2 an inch below the bottom of either guide means 32 or tube extension 34 tank ball will be raised only about /2 an inch from its seat. When the proper amount of water has been let out of flush tank to clean the toilet bowl, handle 44 is released and the tank ball will seat itself upon its seat thereby sealing the water in the flush tank. By this method for water control, the operators hand must be on handle 44 when flushing and as soon as the hand is off handle 44 the tank ball will drop upon its seat thereby sealing the water in the flush tank.

A inch elevation of tank ball is sufiicient for flushing but if more water is desired it can be elevated up to inch. Tank ball cannot be elevated more than inch, since tank ball will then not drop when the operators hand is taken off handle 44 thereby causing most all of the water in a flush tank to be drained out. By this method of water control for flush tanks, every time handle 44 is turned to operating position, it saves water because instead of the entire tank being drained, the water is regulated and only the necessary controlled amount is let out through pipe 13.

From the foregoing, it will be further noted that there ice is eliminated the necessity of obtaining a specific type of seal ball member depending on the type of water discharge seat used in presently known types of flush tanks.

By my invention I eliminate the aggravation of handle jiggling, the necessity of resetting leaking tank ball members and the consequent annoyance and loss of running water.

Further, there is effected by my invention, considerable economy in water and there is also eliminated the wear and tear caused by the defective operation of the tank ball seal which in time causes wear and excessive loss of amounts of water in the seat outlet piping.

While a preferred embodiment of my invention has herein been described and illustrated, it is to be understood that modification as to form, arrangement of parts and use of materials may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. For a flush tank having an overflow means and water outlet means, a tapering ball seal member for said water outlet means, the top of said ball having a horizontal guide member for permitting relative adjustment of the seal member, and L shaped member having a long arm and a short arm, said short arm being adjustably mounted in the guide member, and extending to one side of and angularly from the top of said ball member and laterally adjustable therewith, means for adjusting the L shaped member relatively of the vertical axis of the ball member, an adjustable vertical rod member extending axially from the ball member disposed parallel with the long arm of the L-shaped member, means on said vertical rod member for adjusting the L shaped member relatively laterally of the ball member, a pair of telescopic adjustable sleeve guide means fixed to the overflow means for said L shaped member and the vertically extending member, said sleeve guide means having parallel sleeve portions each for the vertical member and the long arm of the L member, means for fixing said telescopic adjustable member in said flush tank, and means, in connection with the vertical member for raising the ball member and parallel members in unison, said L shaped member permitting positive sealing of the ball member.

2. In a flush tank having water flow means, water overflow means, a ball seal seat, and water outlet means, the improvement comprising a tapering ball seal member having a tapered end adapted to slide into and seal said water outlet means, a vertically operable L shaped member having a long arm and a short arm extending at right angles therefrom, said short arm being connectible with said ball member and laterally adjustable therewith, guide means on top of said ball member for the short arm of said L shaped member to permit adjustment relatively of the ball member, a vertical shaft extending axially from the ball member and above the guide means, means on said vertical member for adjusting the L shaped member relatively of the ball member and in the guide means, adjustable telescopic sleeve guide means for the long arm of said L shaped member and for the vertically extending member, means for fixing said adjustable telescopic member to the overflow means in said flush tank, means in connection with the water flow means and in connection with the vertical shaft member, and means for raising the last named means whereby the ball member, the vertical and L shaped members are raised in unison.

3. The combination according to claim 2, in which the guide means and the adjustable guide means are provided with locking means to permit relative lateral adjustment of the L shaped member and vertical shaft member, said members being also adjustable laterally of each other through said guide means on the ball member.

4. In a flush tank having water supply means, water overflow pipe means, and a water flush outlet, the improvement for adjusting the supply of water from the tank, comprising collar means for attachment to the water overflow means in said tank, a pair of telescopic sleeve means extending laterally from the overflow pipe means, a movable L shaped member having a long arm and a short arm, the long arm extending through one of the telescopic means, a rod extending axially through said other telescopic means, a ball seal member connected to said rod, horizontal guide means on top of said ball seal member for slidable horizontal adjustment therein of the short arm of said L shaped member to permit lateral adjustment thereof, slidable means on said rod for actuating the same and means in connection with the slidable means for raising the ball and L shaped member in unison.

5. An adjustable control device for flush tanks having water overflow pipe means and a water flush outlet, comprising collar means for adjustable attachment to the water overflow means in said tank, a pair of relatively, laterally adjustable telescopic sleeve guide means extending horizontally from the collar means, each of said sleeve guide means having a sleeve member depending perpendicularly therefrom and spaced parallel relatively of each other, an L shaped member having a long arm and a short arm, its long arm extending vertically through one of the depending sleeves in the telescopic means, a rod extending through said other depending sleeve in the telescopic means, a ball seal member connected to said rod, a guide slot on said ball seal member for accommodating the short arm of said L shaped member, slidable means on said rod and means in connection with the slidable means which when actuated raises the rod, the ball, and the L shaped member in unison.

6. An adjustable water control device for flush tanks, having water supply, outlet and overflow means, comprising collar means for attachment to the overflow means, a pair of laterally, relatively movable telescopic sleeve means extending horizontally from the collar means, each of said telescopic means having a vertical sleeve spaced parallel with each other and having a long arm vertically movable in one vertical sleeve of said telescopic means, a rod vertically movable in the other vertical sleeve of the telescopic means, means on each lateral member for locking one of said telescopic means with the other telescopic means, a ball seal member connected to said vertical rod, a grooved horizontal guide member fixed on top of said ball seal member for the short arm of said L shaped member, said L shaped member being adjustable laterally of the axis of the ball seal, means for fixing said L shaped member with the guide, and slidable means on said rod which upon actuation raises the ball and L shaped member in unison, said vertically movable rod having adjustable stop means for limiting the rise thereof when operating said device.

7. A device according to claim 6, in which the vertically movable member is provided with adjustable stop means comprising a slotted sleeve for the member and regulable means for fastening the sleeve to the movable member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,501,318 Donnelly July 15, 1924 1,515,414 Rockhill Nov. 11, 1924 1,676,234 Gove July 3, 1928 1,878,613 Werner Sept. 20, 1932 1,904,898 Kennedy Apr. 18, 1933 2,001,545 Podolsky May 14, 1935 2,016,840 Schubert Oct. 8, 1935 2,450,609 Phelps Oct. 5, 1948 2,644,951 Rand July 14, 1953 

